


My Line is For You

by orphan_account



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mentions of Accident, everything the same but AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-02 20:36:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6581236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Everything the same but, every time a person falls in love, a red line like a tally mark appears on their wrist AU"</p><p>A new line appears after the crash in Sochi, Carlos doesn't know at first who it's for. At least until he's invited over to talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Different colored lines mean different things, depending on the relationship. I wanted to do something sort of short and sweet. I also couldn't get this sort of thing out of my head after I did Outlet Needed.

For the longest time Carlos only had one red line on the inside of his left forearm, near his elbow. It isn’t until after his crash in Sochi that a second one started to appear. On race day, when he was getting dressed, Carlos had seen the new line. It was faint, almost a light pink, he had known it would be bright red by the time the day was over. He didn’t know whom the line could be for, sure he cared about certain people in his life, but there wasn’t someone he could pinpoint. It bothered him all through Christmas break.

It wasn’t until Fernando wanted him to come over that Carlos started to suspect who the line was for. They had talked about their respective lines in the past. Carlos knew that Fernando had five lines, at least at their last talk about them. That last talk was the night of his crash, when Fernando was visiting him in the hospital.

He knew Fernando had five lines. For the most part, lines were considered a private thing, they could be easily hidden, and people didn’t show them off, unless they trusted whom they were showing them to. Fernando’s lines were different than any Carlos had seen. Fernando had five of them. One was black, two were green and two were the standard red. Fernando had explained the meanings, the black was for the marriage that had “fallen apart,” the green were for when he was under 18, and the red were for the relationships he had after his marriage.

Carlos had only fallen in love once before this, but after he was 18, hence why his first line was red. With the second one showing up, he knew it was serious, otherwise the line wouldn’t have shown up at all. These sorts of things weren’t for lust, or for infatuation, they were serious.

Carlos had been around Fernando for most of his life. Fernando was a weird mix of a professional mentor, family member, and someone Carlos valued as a friend. Even though Fernando was 13 years older, it didn’t really make a difference.

He had keys for Fernando’s place in Madrid; Carlos was amazed that the older man had kept it for so long. Fernando had told him to come over between 4 and 6, before dinner, so he thought showing up at 5 would be a good way to not show up too early or too late. He was nervous, but he didn’t fully understand why. It was strange, after his first few meetings with Fernando; he got over his shyness and nervousness and started to get comfortable. What he was feeling right now, was very similar to what he felt all those years ago.

Opening the door, he hears music softly playing from the direction the kitchen is in. Fernando had bought this place years ago, it was a small 2 BD/2BA in the center of town with it’s own entrance. Carlos had always loved coming over here, it was full of wonderful memories.

“Allo? Carlos?” He hears Fernando before seeing him. Closing the door and locking it, he sighs, sometimes he feels like he knows this apartment better than any of the places he’s lived. It’s both comfortable and comforting to be here again. He kicks his shoes next to the pile Fernando always left at the door.

Walking through the apartment towards where Fernando’s voice came from, it comes to him; the mark on his arm is for Fernando. Who else could it be for? It had shown up after Fernando had rushed to the hospital, spending precious team debriefing time with him. This has to be why Fernando wanted him to come, because Fernando must have realized the same thing.

Fernando is lying on the couch, watching a football match. Carlos motions for the older man lift his legs so he can get on the couch. Putting his feet up and settling into the couch, Carlos finally looks over at Fernando. They speak at the same time, “My line is for you.”

Fernando is able to speak before Carlos can, “Mine showed up in Austria, I did not know who it was for, until your crash. I did not know what to say to you, because I did not want to change anything.” As Fernando is talking, Carlos can’t help but run one of his hands over Fernando’s calves. The older man is wearing shorts and a hoodie.

“My line showed up on race day in Russia. I didn’t think it was for you until I got here.” He looks back down at Fernando’s ankles, feeling a little shy. “Stay over, yes?” Carlos hears the almost loaded question behind the surface question, knowing that he won’t be sleeping in the spare half bedroom half office tonight.

“Yes.” He knows anything past this simple answer would spoil the moment. With that, Fernando half gets up, shifting to get put his head in Carlos’s lap instead of feet. Carlos can’t help but smile as he puts a hand into Fernando’s hair and a hand on Fernando’s stomach. In this moment everything’s perfect. He knows Fernando will be gentle with him, after all, hadn’t Fernando always been good to him in the past?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They discuss their first line stories.

It’s the next morning. They had spent the night cuddling, watching whatever came on the television and softly talking. After eating, they had moved that cuddling into the bedroom. Carlos had missed doing these sorts of things with someone. He felt so warm and needed.

Shifting a little, trying to get even closer to Fernando, but knowing that isn’t possible, Carlos asks what’s been on his mind for the past hour. “Who was your first line for?” He knows his voice is thick from the sleep, but it’s tinged with emotion. He

“Luisa. We were together when I was getting popular in racing. She died while I was away and I never got to tell her again how much I loved her. I rebounded with someone else and fell in love hard, I was with him from right before I turned 18 until I started racing at Mindari that first year. I wanted to focus on racing and I broke his heart.”

After speaking Fernando nuzzles even further into Carlos’ neck. Carlos doesn’t know what to say to all of that. He hadn’t expected that at all. Fernando was very private about certain things, even though Carlos had known him for years, he hadn’t known this; he had known about the marriage and the two relationships afterwards, but hadn’t known about the other two at all.

“Do you still miss her?” That’s all he knows what to say, he wants Fernando to say more about this, since this could be the only time he might find anything out about it. “Sometimes I won’t think about her for a long time, and then BAM it’s all I can think about.” Fernando has pulled back a little bit; he’s looking up at Carlos. “I know you need to know about it. If I were you, I would want to know. Do you want to talk about yours?”

At this, Carlos closes his eyes. His line is somewhat like Fernando’s; not the death part, but the fact that it still hurts to think about. He feels Fernando’s hand start on his cheek, before moving to his neck. “Is ok if you don’t.” Fernando’s voice has turned soft, something Carlos appreciates.

“You shared with me, I need to share with you. Like my second line, it showed up during the Hungary race weekend in 2013, I had turned 18 a few weeks before. We had known each other for almost a full year by then. I had already been a part of the red bull junior team when Antonio joined; you probably know some of this. We had been flirting for so long then I went home with him.”

At this, his voice catches; he hadn’t realized how much some of it still hurt. “He left, yes?” Carlos was right, Fernando knew some of it, but more than what had been let on. He sighs, “Yes, he didn’t get a seat. He left for a different series and didn’t want to be with me anymore. He said it didn’t feel right.”

Carlos wants to cry; instead he sniffles and buries his face into the top of Fernando’s head. “I do not judge, if you want to cry, it’s ok.” The words are like a salve to the wound, one Carlos hasn’t realized he was still carrying. “It’s like yours, sometimes it’s there and sometimes it’s not. During the first part of the season, after a tough race, I would really miss him being there with me.” Now there’s a few tears coming out and he feels embarrassed, because he doesn’t like showing a lot of emotion, not even in racing.

Fernando pulls back, moving to wipe the tears from Carlos’s face. There’s a soft smile on Fernando’s face, “First love never goes away, is always there. It can still sting years later.” Carlos knows that it’s experience talking, seeing as Fernando is 13 years older. He may be younger and taller, but Fernando has seen more and experienced more in a lot of ways. The lines on their arms tell each of their stories and Carlos knows his two aren’t the same as Fernando’s now six.

They’ve shifted on the bed to where Carlos is the one nuzzled into Fernando’s neck instead of the other way around. “You are special, little matador. He had his reasons for moving on and none of them were because of you.” Carlos knows Fernando’s words have truth to them; they’re something he has heard a few times, but hasn’t really believed them until now. Hearing them from friends and family is not like hearing them from Fernando.

One of Fernando’s hands is in his hair, smoothing it down. “Few more minutes and then breakfast.” Instead of answering, Carlos scoots in closer, closing the last few centimeters that had been between them. Fernando chuckles “Must mean yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously a figment of my imagination. Especially Fernando's story. Carlos's was inspired by a fic on here from last year, credit to that author.


End file.
